Sunday, April 22, 2018

LIS Trading Cards

The sci-fi classic created by Irwin Allen returns with 2018 Rittenhouse Lost in Space Archives Series 1. Limited to just 200 total sets, each factory box contains three autographs and a sketch card.

This first Lost in Space set is part one of the premium release, with Series 2 planned for later in 2018. Boxes are priced at $199.99.

Rittenhouse Lost in Space Archives Series 1 Base / Inserts

Capturing all 85 episodes, the 2018 Rittenhouse Lost in Space Archives Series 1 checklist offers the first 43 Episode cards, while the remaining 42 base cards come in Series 2. The all-new artwork that celebrates each episode is from artist Juan Ortiz.

Rittenhouse Lost in Space Archives Series 1

Every box also offers Metal character cards. While a box only has four of the metal cards, those that purchase two sets are guaranteed the full eight-card set.

Rittenhouse Lost in Space Archives Series 1

Rittenhouse Lost in Space Archives Series 1 Autographs

Satisfying hit collectors, 2018 Rittenhouse Lost in Space Archives Series 1 delivers three autographs per factory set. That includes Inscription Autograph cards for both Bill Mumy (Will Robinson) and Marta Kristen (Judy Robinson). Added excitement comes from the different inscription choices for each signer.

Rittenhouse Lost in Space Archives Series 1

In addition, each box has one Character Art Autograph card for either Angela Cartwright (Penny Robinson) or June Lockhart (Dr. Maureen Robinson). And if you buy two sets, you get both. There is also an exclusive Triple Autograph provided with the purchase of two sets. The triple signature card features Bill Mumy, Marta Kristen and Angela Cartwright.

Lost in Space is an upcoming American science fiction web television series based on the 1965 series of the same name, following the adventures of a family of pioneering space colonists whose spaceship veers off-course. It is written by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless and will consist of 10 episodes. The series is produced by Legendary Television, Synthesis Entertainment, and Applebox, with Zack Estrin serving as showrunner.

In the year 2046, the Robinson family and the spaceship Jupiter 2, one of several Jupiter ships, encounters a rip in spacetime and crashes on an unknown planet. Stranded light years from their intended destination, the Robinsons and other colonists marooned with them battle a strange new alien environment and their own personal demons as they attempt to leave the planet.

Cast and characters:

Toby Stephens as John Robinson, the expedition commander.

Molly Parker as Maureen Robinson, a fearless and brilliant aerospace engineer who makes the decision to bring her family to space for a chance at a new life on a better world.

Ignacio Serricchio as Don West, a roughneck smuggling luxury goods on the side who finds in the Robinsons the family he never thought he would find.

Taylor Russell as Judy Robinson, John and Maureen's eldest child.

Mina Sundwall as Penny Robinson, one of the Robinson children.

Maxwell Jenkins as Will Robinson, the youngest Robinson child.

Parker Posey as Dr. Smith

The Robot also appears in the series in a modified form.

Raza Jaffrey as Victor, a well groomed, educated and officious man with a sense of entitlement. Victor has been a career builder and politician from a young age. There is arrogance and impatience about him. All this masks the underlying fear that he'll one day be found out — that he isn’t quite good enough.

In October 2014, it was announced that Legendary Television was developing a new reboot of Lost in Space and had hired Dracula Untold screenwriting duo Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless to pen the new series. In November 2015, Netflix landed the project. On June 29, 2016, Netflix officially ordered a full 10 episode season of Lost in Space, with Zack Estrin as executive producer and showrunner. Sazama, Sharpless, Kevin Burns, Jon Jashni, Neil Marshall, and Marc Helwig also serve as executive producers.

"It’s a very clever, modern reworking of a great story. Lost In Space is Swiss Family Robinson in space, so it was a story that existed before Lost In Space. The fundamental story is that it’s a family that is lost in a difficult, life-threatening situation and how it challenges them and brings them closer together. That is essentially what the story of this is, it’s just the context is a lot more modern. It's a more modern take on the '60s version. If you look at it now, it's charming, but it seems so innocent. Whereas this is a version that is for our time. I’m hoping it will still have humour and humanity in it, but it has obviously gotta be for a modern audience."

Sunday, March 04, 2018

New Lost in Space Series (Netflix)

Netflix has given us the first look at Lost in Space, the modern-day reboot of Irwin Allen's classic 1965 sci-fi series, which follows the pioneering space-colonists Robinson family, who find themselves in unknown alien territory after their spaceship veers off-course in a space-time incident. Toby Stephens (Die Another Day) and Molly Parker (House of Cards) play the lead parents.

Created by writing duo Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless – their credits include Dracula Untold, The Last Witch Hunter, and Gods of Egypt – the first season of Lost in Space, a total of 10 episodes, will release on April 13, globally on Netflix. In a new marketing move, Netflix says it has already screened the pilot episode for astronauts aboard the International Space Station, earlier this month.

Set thirty years in an alternate future, where space colonisation is already a reality, the Robinson family is among those chosen to extend humanity beyond Earth. But as is necessary in any sci-fi drama, bad things immediately happen. Due to a rip in spacetime, they find themselves torn off course, and end up on an unknown planet light years away from their original destination.

Stephens plays John Robinson, father and expedition commander, while Parker is in the role of Maureen Robinson, mother and a "brilliant" aerospace engineer, who decides to take her entire family to space. That includes the three Robinson children: Judy (Taylor Russell), Penny (Mina Sundwall), and Will (Maxwell Jenkins).

They aren't alone on this journey, though. There are two outsiders along with the Robinsons, "who find themselves thrown together by circumstance and a mutual knack for deception". Here's the rest of the official description:

The unsettlingly charismatic Dr. Smith (Parker Posey) is a master manipulator with an inscrutable end game. And the roguish, but inadvertently charming Don West (Ignacio Serricchio) is a highly-skilled, blue collar contractor, who had no intention of joining the colony, let alone crash landing on a lost planet.

The famed The Robot from the original Lost in Space will return in a different form. We're guessing it's either an AI, or Raza Jaffrey (Code Black, Homeland) who plays a new character called Victor, who wasn't in the 60s series. According to a Netflix description given to Deadline last year, he's described as:

"Well groomed, educated and officious man with a sense of entitlement. Victor has been a career builder and politician from a young age. There is arrogance and impatience about him. All this masks the underlying fear that he'll one day be found out — that he isn’t quite good enough."

Zack Estrin, who wrote and produced multiple Prison Break episodes during its original run, serves as the showrunner. Neil Marshall, the director of the 2019 Hellboy reboot, in addition to Game of Thrones episodes, and the 2002 cult horror-comedy Dog Soldiers has directed several episodes. The show has been produced by Legendary Television, Synthesis Entertainment, and Applebox.

Sunday, January 28, 2018

In Loving Memory - Robert Dowdell - "Chip Morton"

A very, very sad start to the new year with the passing on Tuesday 23rd January 2018 of one of the most popular stars of Irwin Allen's television productions, Robert Dowdell, who was best known for his role of Lt. Commander Chip Morton in Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. Much loved around the globe, Chip was often the straight guy to several other comedic characters in the show, and he played the role superbly.

Irwin Allen also featured Robert in two of his made for television movies, City Beneath the Sea (1971) and Outrage (1986). He will be sorely missed by his legion of fans and will live on through his work and the love that engendered. Our thoughts at this time are with all of his family, friends, and fans.

Sunday, December 03, 2017

Lost in Space: The Complete John Williams Collection - Exclusive Vinyl Box Set

Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!

We didn't know we could love John Williams more. But in doing research for this vinyl box set, we discovered he was drafted and spent three years in the Air Force, conducting and arranging music for the U.S. Air Force Band. His jazz piano name was "Little Johnny Love" Williams. He played in Henry Mancini's band, and he played the piano riff we all know and love on the theme from Peter Gunn.

For his work on Lost in Space, he was credited as Johnny Williams. Spacelab9 has collected almost 3 hours of music from four different episodes of Lost in Space onto these gorgeous vinyl pressings in shades of purple, blue, green, and orange to match the aesthetic of the show. Dust off the record player and travel back in time with us!

Product Specifications
•Lost in Space: The Complete John Williams Collection - Exclusive Vinyl Box Set
•Officially-licensed Lost in Space merchandise
•A ThinkGeek exclusive from our friends at Spacelab9
•2 hours and 36 minutes of music from the classic show
•Discs are shades of purple, blue, green, and orange to match the aesthetic of the show
•Sleeves feature photos from the show and notes about the episodes featured

Bonus Tracks:
+ Library Cues from the Reluctant Stowaway **
62. Final Countdown (4:45)
63. Escape Velocity/Robot Control (3:35)
64. Defrosting (2:05)
65. Weightless Waltz (3:36)
66. Season Three Main Title Theme
67. Season Three Bumper
68. Season Three End Title Theme

* Composed by Richard LaSalle
** Composed by John Williams and Conducted by Lionel Newman